


the road that leads you home

by ayamie974



Series: Steve's time travel [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22510231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayamie974/pseuds/ayamie974
Summary: Hope you enjoy it. Kudos and comments are always appreciated.Some of the scene might seem short but it's because I'm expending them in other works of this serieBye <3
Series: Steve's time travel [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619557
Kudos: 3





	the road that leads you home

Six stones, five trips. This was Captain America’s last mission. This was Steve last mission. That was what he told himself as he climbed onto the platform after saying his goodbye to Sam and Bucky. Just one last final job and he wouldn’t wear America’s colors anymore. He looked one last time at Bucky as Bruce started the countdown.

Bucky knew what he had planned. They had talked about it until the first light of the morning and Bucky had been more than supportive. The plan was simple: bring back the stones to their righteous place, give a little nudge in the right direction for the timelines they had already influenced during their trips and then get the life he always wanted. Bucky had smiled at him and had told him it was time he finally done something just for himself. Despite his encouragement, Steve couldn’t help the twinge of guilt he felt. If everything went as he had planned, it would be a long time before he saw him again, and he wouldn’t be the same Steve he was now. It felt like he was breaking a promise, even with a permission, and it didn’t sit well with him.

Bruce finished his countdown, and Steve was gone.

~*~*~

Steve first stop was Morag in 2014. He had chosen to go there first because it was the only place he held no attachment over. There was no risk of meeting someone he knew there, and he couldn’t really influence the timeline. From what they understood, the Thanos they fought had come from this timeline, which mean that all he could do was putting back the stone before Peter Quill woke up.

He arrived in the room where the stone was supposed to be kept in and couldn’t help but think that it looked a lot like the dungeon from those movies he watched with the other avenger, back when everything was still good. He walked in carefully and extracted the orb containing the Power stone from the case he had with him. When he saw the laser cage he had to put the orb in, he thanked Rodhey in his mind for the tool he had advised him to take with him. They had told him what happened to Nebula’s arm when she had forced her way inside the cage, and he didn’t want to repeat this experience. He’d like to keep all his limbs intact, thank you very much.

Once this was done, he headed outside and programmed his time device for his second trip. After checking he had everything he needed, he activated his time suit, and left the place without so much as a backward glance.

~*~*~

When he took back his original height, Steve was on Asgard in 2013. The castle he found himself inside was a masterpiece of architecture, and the artist in Steve wished he could stop to take it all in and put it all on paper. If he hadn’t been on a mission, he would probably had done just that. Unfortunately, he was on a mission, and he had to move.

Weirdly enough, putting back the Ether inside Dr Jane Foster wasn’t the hardest part of the mission. He just had to do it just a moment after Rocket had done it, and she was too distracted by the talking raccoon to feel the second pinch on her skin. It was understandable as it was a still slightly perturbing experience for him and he had known Rocket for five years.

It took him longer to put Thor hammer down, but it gave him the opportunity to meet Thor mother. 

When he finally left for his next destination, Steve somehow felt as if he had done something good and had received some help too.

~*~*~

New York, 2012  
Seeing the battle of New York for the third time wasn’t something Steve had been looking up to. Even from the new point of view that the roof of the Sanctum offered. He turned around when he heard the guardian of the stone, the Ancient One, asking him if this meant that they had won. He confirmed it with a nod and opened the mallet containing the stones. He turned it towards them and let them use their magic to take it out and put it into the strange eyes necklace they wore. Steve could see the relief they felt when the stone took back its righteous place. When they lifted their eyes towards him Steve suddenly got the impression that they could see into his very soul.

“You have an important decision to make Captain Rogers. I can see the conflict inside you. You must know by now that thanks to this stone, I have the possibility to see the different possibility of the future offers. Your presence here already changed this future. What I see now are very different futures depending on what you choose to do. It is not my place to tell you which choice you should make. But you must be aware that no matter what choice you make, it won’t change anything that happened in your timeline. You have to know this.”

Steve hadn’t been prepared for this speech, hadn’t though they would see through his plan, and could only nod in reply. This was as closed as he would get of a confirmation that his decision wouldn’t definitively end up in one big mess up. Even if he would never see the result.

“I see you took your decision.” They said with a small enigmatic smile. “Very well Captain Rogers. I don’t think a little bit more time would do you any wrong in this situation. Good luck captain”

Before he could answer, they started to make some weird hand movement around the eye pendant, making the stone inside glow an ethereal green. Steve could suddenly feel his body moving backward until he was back to the point he appeared when he arrived in this timeline. All around him, everything was just as it had been at that moment.

He let out a small thank you, even though he knew no one would hear it, before heading towards the tower. Now all he had to do was put back the scepter and find the best way to right as much future wrong as he could. All the while avoiding being seen. In a building swarmed by SHIELD and Hydra agents and the avenger, all of them on high alert after Loki escape. Easy…

But if it worked, it would be more than worth it. He could do it.

~*~*~

When Steve’s feet touched Vormir’s ground, he felt dread fill him. In any other occasion, he would have found this place breathtaking, but all he could think was that this was where Natasha died. Clint had described the place, and he knew that a few meters farther, at the top of this mountain, was a cliff and if he were to look down from it, he would probably see Natasha lying there. The though made him shudder and he started moving.

Meeting Red Skull at the top of the cliff wasn’t a surprise (Clint had warned him about it), but it was still a really uncomfortable situation. Especially knowing he couldn’t even punch him. (No, of course it hadn’t been his first reaction upon seeing him. It had been his second. He had cursed him colorfully first. Then he had tried to deck him.) The Red Skull taunted him, telling him he was here for nothing as the Soul stone had already been taken.

Seeing Steve take the stone out of his case seemed to shut him up. Steve didn’t give him the time to recover from the choc, simply going to the hedge of the cliff, and carefully not looking down, he threw the stone away.

There was a shockwave and he was suddenly in some sort of lac. He looked around him, and what he saw made him think: 

“Oh! … this is going to change some things…”

~*~*~

1970, New Jersey. His last stop. The ex-training camp always made Steve feel a bit nostalgic. Getting into the bunker was easier this time around as no one else rode the lift with him. Steve tried to avoid thinking about the fact that this place had been his last mission with Tony. He had to hide in one of the rooms for a moment to ward off the memory, of how they had been in sync when they took the decision to come here, trusting each other again, for real, after so long. 

When he got a grip on his emotion, he went to put back the Pym particles and the Tesseract, all the while avoiding the security of the building that were still searching for ‘Grant Steven’.

In the end he was back inside Peggy’s office, looking at her through the window. He saw her walking in his direction and knew he only had a few second to decide what he wanted. He thought back on the trip he had just undertaken, and then he thought of family, and of home. He took a big breath. The handle was turned. He smiled. The door opened and he took a moment to take her in.

“I know I’m late for this dance, I’m sorry for that.”

~*~*~

(There was a lot of taking after that, and a lot of explanation needed, plan to make for the future, but it would work out fine in the end)

(He finally got his dance.)

~*~*~

2024\. He was finally back where it all started, in his original timeline. Deciding to give the platform a skip, he snuck around and went to sit on the bench in front of the lac. He felt a bit bad when he heard the distress in Sam and Bruce voice, but he kept his back turned to them. It was Bucky who saw him first, and he sent Sam to talk with him. Ah, yes… It was true that Bucky had known about his plan.

Sam came to him using a little quip to start the conversation. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to hear Sam told him he was happy he had taken the opportunity to be happy when he could see the bit of heartbreak in his eyes.

Then he made a remark about the world living without Captain America, and Steve took this perfect opportunity to give him the Shield. It took him a second to understand the offer, and a few moments to try it on, but once he did, Steve felt better. He really made the good choice. He confirmed it to Sam when he told him that the Shield was his and no one else. Sam had to look away for a moment to gather his emotions before promising him he would do his best and Steve had never been this glad to have become friend with him.

Then Sam asked him if he would tell him about the person behind the ring on his hand. He smiled and answered.

“Oh, you know…”

He reached for his face, disactivated his mask and voice modifier.

“I don’t think there is that much to tell.” He finished with a voice cleared of its older raspiness.

Sam looked at him part shocked, not knowing how to react. It was Bucky who was the first to react.

“Punk?” he asked in an uncertain voice.  
“Hi Jerk.” Steve answer, turning his wrinkle-free face towards him. “You didn’t do to much stupid thing while I was away, I hope?”

He got up as Bucky walked towards him. He saw the smile Bucky wore loose the bitter twist it had, his eyes gaining a light of joy and Steve felt like he could kick himself. How had he missed how much he could have hurt his brother in all but blood if he had gone through with the original plan? Of course Bucky would have encouraged him to go with his plan even if it hurt him. How could he have been stupid enough to think Bucks would really be alright with his decision. He was so glad he hadn’t gone through it.

The punch Bucky threw at him when he reached him was totally expected but it didn’t make it hurt less, cutting his breath. At least he hadn’t used his metal arm. Just as he got his breath back, he felt Bucky arms around him, and he hugged him back with just as much strength. He took a moment just savoring this hug before turning his head towards Sam. His dark skin friend was looking at him like he didn’t know if he should laugh or follow Bucky example in punching him.

When their eyes met, he raised the Shield a little, the question evident in the gesture. Steve shook his head and answered: 

“I stand by what I said Sam.” He said, turning slightly to see his friend better, but without letting go of Bucky completely. “This is yours now. I don’t think I can be Captain America anymore. I don’t want to fight anymore. I’ve played the hero long enough. Now the world need someone else, and you’re the only one I trust to take on this role.”

Sam seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding decisively. He then put down the shield on the bench and joined in the hug, Steve more than happy to hold him too. They staid like this for a few moments longer before finally letting go.

“What about your plan?” Bucky asked, looking uncertain, as if scared that he was going to disappear again.

“I did the first part, brought the stone back, tried to help the timelines… But I think I got a little help back along the way, to realize what I would lose if I didn’t come back and that my home was here and now and not in the past anymore. I also met a little someone who promised to kick my ass if I wasn’t there when they got back.” He explained, finishing with a little smirk.

“What? Who are you talking about?” asked Bucky

As if on cue, a sound came from time travel platform, making the three of them turn towards it. A moment later a figure a standing in the center of the platform, making the hurry towards it. Just as they reached it the figure opened her mask, letting them see her head full of red hair ending with blond tips. She and Steve met each other gaze in the stunned silence that followed and shared a happy smile.

“Hello there, boys, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long?” she asked, humor fully perceptible in her voice.

This seemed to break the spell on the men as three voices reacted as one.

“Natasha?!”

Steve smiled as he watched Bruce, Sam and Bucky emotional greeting Natasha. He was glad to have made his choice. He was finally home.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy it. Kudos and comments are always appreciated.  
> Some of the scene might seem short but it's because I'm expending them in other works of this serie  
> Bye <3


End file.
